I find that screenwriting is at best kind of a hackwork in some ways.

I find that screenwriting is at best kind of a hackwork in some ways.

The people that really pass judgment on you really have nothing to do with what you do, usually.

Also, they don't understand - writing is language. The use of language. The language to create image, the language to create drama. It requires a skill of learning how to use language.

I also thought of myself as the Sonny Barger of the film industry.

There is a certain kind of respect for authenticity today that there wasn't back in the days when they did 'Cleopatra,' where everything looked like a giant motel. People want to have it be authentic in the look, and authentic in the way people behave.

A lot of people thought of me as a threat to Western civilization.